Wu Lei: 'China believes in a comeback against Thailand'

Thailand Striker Wu Lei was not surprised when China beat Thailand 2-1 in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup - Asia region.

"China is prepared for every situation," Wu Lei told page 163 after the match at Rajamangala Stadium on the evening of November 16. "We are mentally prepared and believe that the whole team can respond to Thailand. Our mentality is not shaken after conceding the first goal."

Wu Lei celebrates the equalizer in the 2-1 win over Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok on November 16. Photo: Laitimes — Wu Lei celebrates the equalizer in the 2-1 win over Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok on November 16. Photo: *Laitimes*

In the first match against Thailand in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, China conceded first, when midfielder Sarach Yooyen volleyed past goalkeeper Yan Junling in the 23rd minute. But just six minutes later, Yooyen lost possession in his own half, allowing Wei Shihao to charge into the penalty area and pass to the far post for Wu Lei to tap into an empty net. The former Espanyol striker was in pain after hitting the post, but quickly got up to celebrate the equalizer with his teammates.

In the second half, Thailand pushed up their formation in search of victory, but it was China who scored the decisive goal. From the counter-attack, it seemed like the opportunity had passed China when Xie Pengfei pushed the ball too long, but Kritsada Kaman lost the ball in the penalty area due to his cumbersome handling. Pengfei crossed to the far post for Wang Shangyuan to fly and head into the empty net, sealing a 2-1 victory for the visitors.

"We read a lot of news about Thailand before the game, and knew they wanted to beat us at home," Wu Lei added. "But we didn't come here to see them take three easy points. China came to Thailand with a winning mentality."

Wu Lei (No. 7) dribbled past goalkeeper Patiwat in the first half, but missed the chance. Photo: Laitimes — Wu Lei (No. 7) dribbled past goalkeeper Patiwat in the first half, but missed the chance. Photo: *Laitimes*

In this match, China let the home team control the ball 63%, launched 17 shots, 4 of which were on target, while the visitors' respective figures were 7 and 2. The proactive counter-attacking style of play brought China a worthy result, especially when the speed and physical advantage of Aleksandar Jankovic's students were brought into play in the second half. This style of play promises to continue to be applied by China, when they return to their home stadium in Shenzhen on November 21 to host South Korea - the team leading Group C after beating Singapore 5-0 in the first round.

"South Korea is a strong team in Asia as well as the world ," Wu Lei said of their upcoming opponents. "We will keep a humble attitude when facing them, try to play with a low formation and defend well at home. Hopefully China will continue to bring joy to the fans."

Wu Lei should have scored more than one goal against Thailand. The 10-time La Liga striker missed the chance to score twice in the first half, when he shot wide of the post in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai. He had also been blocked by the goalkeeper when he was about to shoot from a tight angle. With 32 goals in 88 appearances for the national team, Wu Lei is second on the list of China's greatest goalscorers, behind only Hao Haidong with 39 goals in 106 matches.

Vy Anh

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